U.S. patent application number 10/534371 was filed with the patent office on 2006-05-11 for electrical contacting of thin enameled wires of secondary windings of ignition coils.
Invention is credited to Thomas Breckle, Klaus Lerchenmueller, Konstantin Lindenthal, Juergn Raedler.
Application Number | 20060097834 10/534371 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32115335 |
Filed Date | 2006-05-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20060097834 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lerchenmueller; Klaus ; et
al. |
May 11, 2006 |
ELECTRICAL CONTACTING OF THIN ENAMELED WIRES OF SECONDARY WINDINGS
OF IGNITION COILS
Abstract
An electrical connection set-up for manufacturing an ignition
coil is provided, e.g., for connecting thin enameled wires in
ignition coils. In this regard, on the side of the high-voltage
outlet, a contacting sleeve is provided which is installed by being
lifted over a corresponding secondary winding without making
contact and which then snaps into place due to the spring-like form
or mounting, while elements provided on the contacting sleeve break
through an insulating layer surrounding the secondary winding, thus
establishing the electrical connection without the use of thermal
methods.
Inventors: |
Lerchenmueller; Klaus;
(Immenstadt, DE) ; Lindenthal; Konstantin;
(Blaichach, DE) ; Breckle; Thomas; (Bihlerdorf,
DE) ; Raedler; Juergn; (Burgberg, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KENYON & KENYON LLP
ONE BROADWAY
NEW YORK
NY
10004
US
|
Family ID: |
32115335 |
Appl. No.: |
10/534371 |
Filed: |
July 3, 2003 |
PCT Filed: |
July 3, 2003 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/DE03/02234 |
371 Date: |
December 28, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
336/192 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01R 4/2495 20130101;
F02P 3/02 20130101; H01F 38/12 20130101; H01F 5/04 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
336/192 |
International
Class: |
H01F 27/29 20060101
H01F027/29 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 7, 2002 |
DE |
102 51 840.8 |
Claims
1-8. (canceled)
9. An electrical connection arrangement for an ignition coil,
comprising: a coil shell having a secondary winding including at
least one contacting area; a contact sleeve at least partially slit
lengthwise and configured to be placed over the at least one
contacting area, the contact sleeve having an inner side configured
to cooperate with the coil shell, and the contact sleeve having at
least one contact clip with contacting elements on a side facing
the coil shell; and a cup-shaped formation of the ignition coil
configured to receive the contact sleeve; wherein the contacting
elements are configured to break through an insulting layer
surrounding the secondary winding during the installation of the
contact sleeve in the cup-shaped formation to achieve contact with
the secondary winding.
10. The electrical connection arrangement of claim 9, wherein the
ignition coil is a rod-type ignition coil including an ignition
coil rod having a high-voltage outlet and a low-voltage outlet, and
the contact sleeve is configured on a high-voltage outlet side of
the ignition coil.
11. The electrical connection arrangement of claim 10, wherein the
contact sleeve is installed in a press fit over the at least one
contacting area.
12. The electrical connection arrangement of claim 11, wherein the
contact sleeve is configured to be opened up as a spring.
13. The electrical connection arrangement of claim 11, wherein, in
an installed state in an ignition coil housing and by cooperation
with the ignition coil housing, the at least one contact clip is
configured to lie against the at least one contacting area and
establish an electrical connection.
14. The electrical connection arrangement of claim 11, wherein the
high-voltage outlet includes an end having a pin configured to
engage in a recess on a side of an ignition coil housing of the
ignition coil in an installed state.
15. The electrical connection arrangement of claim 14, wherein the
pin is provided for winding up one end of the secondary
winding.
16. The electrical connection of claim 14, wherein the pin includes
at least one rupture joint.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to an electrical connection
set-up for manufacturing an ignition coil, particularly a rod-type
ignition coil having an ignition coil rod with a high-voltage
outlet.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0002] Ignition coils may produce a high-voltage spark, which jump
between the electrodes of the spark plug set up at the ignition
coil, thus igniting the air-gasoline mixture of an internal
combustion engine, for example. This spark plug may be supplied
with high voltage from an ignition coil. A primary winding and a
corresponding secondary winding may be provided within the ignition
coil. At one end, the primary winding may be connected to an
ignition switch, while its other end may be connected to a
so-called contact breaker.
[0003] The secondary winding, that is, the winding responsible for
generating the ignition spark, may be connected in the interior of
the ignition coil to the one end of the primary winding, so that it
is grounded. The other end of the secondary winding may be
connected to the high-voltage outlet, which in turn may be either
connected to an ignition cable leading to the spark plug, or at
which the spark plug is set up directly.
[0004] The secondary winding itself may be made of a thin wire
coated with a suitable layer of enamel so as to avoid the
contacting of the individual wires when wrapping a specific support
part or coil shell. After the secondary windings have been wound
onto a shell, the ends of the respective wires are contacted.
Thermal contacting methods such as soldering or welding, for
example, may be used for this purpose.
[0005] Different work processes may be required, such as, for
example, with regard to contacting the primary and secondary
windings. This may entail higher installation costs, multiple
assembly steps and also a certain number of connecting parts
required to make an appropriate electrical connection.
[0006] Furthermore, in a tight installation space, it may be
difficult to bring about an appropriate contacting using
conventional thermal methods.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention may provide a connection set-up
between an ignition coil rod of an ignition coil and a secondary or
primary winding which is inexpensive and readily implemented.
[0008] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, the conventional thermal contacting method may be
replaced by providing additional contacting elements that break
through the enamel-coated wire of the secondary winding during
installation, thus bringing about an appropriate contacting.
[0009] In particular, it may be seen as desirable for the
electrical connection set-up for producing an ignition coil, that
the contacting be integrated into already existing components, and
may be reliably produced using simple processes.
[0010] Compared to the conventional method, a "cold" contacting
method proposed here may involve no additional installation costs.
In addition, the set-up of the present invention may reduce the
number of assembly steps and the number of connecting parts.
[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, the implementation of the contacting does not require
optimization of the installation space. Thus, it may not be
necessary to reserve a free space in the area of contacting, e.g.
for electrode holders, soldering irons or the like.
[0012] Simply by sliding a contact sleeve onto the coil shell
configured as a secondary winding, this contacting body may be slid
directly onto the coil shell without shifting the installed
secondary winding. This may be achieved by the feature that the
contact sleeve is slit lengthwise and may thus be opened up as a
spring.
[0013] This contact sleeve may feature contact clips on its outer
surface, which, after the contact sleeve has been slid onto the
coil shell, contact the wire of the secondary winding due to their
spring-like form in that the contact clip of the contact sleeve
breaks through the insulation, for example, of an enamel coating of
the wires of the secondary winding.
[0014] The contact sleeve may be guided over the coil shell until
it strikes against a stop formed on an ignition coil rod. To
prevent damaging or shifting the secondary wire, the diameter of
the contact sleeve may be larger or at least equal to the diameter
of the secondary shell and twice as large as the diameter of the
wire. As soon as the contact sleeve is positioned in a very
straightforward manner in the contacting area of the ignition coil
rod, it may be installed in the ignition coil housing with the
high-voltage outlet. By insertion into a cup-shaped formation, the
contact clips are pressed onto the winding of the secondary
winding, thus breaking through the insulating layer of the wire and
establishing a permanent electrical contact. The free end of the
winding of the secondary wire may be wound around a pin-like
formation at the end of the ignition coil rod. This pin is then
inserted into the high-voltage outlet. This may prevent failures of
the ignition coil due to superelevations of the field at the end of
the wire.
[0015] A space-saving alternative may provide for rupture joints on
the pin-like formation of the ignition coil rod so that, when the
assembly is installed into the ignition coil housing, the pin on
the side of the high-voltage outlet breaks, and specifically
inwardly so that contact is ensured in spite of the break.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an ignition coil having
one side for the high-voltage outlet and another side for the
low-voltage outlet.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view through the ignition coil
according to FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows an enlarged representation of the perspective
view of the side of the high-voltage outlet of the ignition coil
rod.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a section through the enlarged view of the side
of the high-voltage outlet according to FIG. 3.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the contact sleeve for
installation on the side of the high-voltage outlet.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a sectional view of the contact sleeve
according to FIG. 5.
[0022] FIG. 7 shows an enlarged partial representation of the
contact clips of the contact sleeve according to an example
embodiment of the present invention according to FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an ignition coil 1.
Ignition coil 1 includes an ignition coil housing 2 and an ignition
coil rod 3 located in ignition coil housing 2. In addition,
ignition coil 1 features a side for a high-voltage outlet H and a
side for the low-voltage outlet N. The side of low-voltage outlet N
is provided to establish contact with a power supply not detailed
in the drawing, while the side of high-voltage outlet H is provided
for connecting to an ignition cable or a spark plug not detailed in
the drawing.
[0024] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of ignition coil 1 represented
in FIG. 1, the areas shown relating to essential features of the
invention represented in more detail in the subsequent figures.
[0025] On high-voltage side H, a contacting area 20 (FIG. 3) is
provided on ignition coil rod 3, which provides for the
installation of a secondary winding 22 on a coil shell 21.
Following the completion of the winding of secondary wire 22, it is
guided through a bore hole 23 into contacting area 20, where it is
further wound until it enters a groove 24 and reaches a pin 25. At
pin 25, the free end of secondary wire 22 is tied up.
[0026] A contact sleeve 26 depicted in FIG. 4 through 7 is now put
over contacting area 20. This contact sleeve 26 has at least one
axial slit 27, which, for example, does not extend over the entire
length. In addition, provided on the peripheral surface of contact
sleeve 26 is at least one contact clip 28 for establishing a
contact with secondary winding 22 in contacting area 20 on the side
of high-voltage outlet H.
[0027] By virtue of axial slit 27, contact sleeve 26 is now guided
over contacting area 20 of ignition coil rod 3 on the side of
high-voltage outlet H until it reaches a stop 29. The expansion of
contact sleeve 26 while sliding it on prevents secondary winding 22
on the side of high-voltage outlet H from being damaged. Contact
sleeve 26 is configured so that it reaches a press fit immediately
after it has been slid over the contacting area, preventing contact
sleeve 26 from falling off again.
[0028] As shown in FIG. 4, this assembly made up of ignition coil
rod 3 and contact sleeve 26 is now installed into high-voltage
outlet H of ignition coil housing 2. Ignition coil housing 2
features a cup-shaped formation 30 for receiving the free end of
ignition coil rod 3. In addition, a recess 31 is provided for
receiving pin 25 of ignition coil rod 3.
[0029] Due to cup-shaped formation 30 of ignition coil housing 2,
contact clips 28 of contact sleeve 26 are pressed in a defined
manner in the direction of an arrow 32 (FIG. 4). The insulating
layer of secondary wire 22 is thereby pierced and an electrical
contact permanently established. The free end of secondary wire 22,
which is wound around pin 25, is inserted into recess 31. At the
same time, stop 29, located on the side of ignition coil rod 3,
rests on a shoulder 33 on the side of ignition coil housing 2. By
integrating the contacting option and existing components,
contacting options may be created between components and the
secondary winding in an ignition coil via simple joining
operations, while saving additional installation costs, assembly
steps and the like.
* * * * *